Yesterday I was working on a project for another site that required I research several local bands. Assuming they had a web presence, I started by searching their names on Google to see what I could come up with. It surprised me to learn that many of the bands did not have much of a web presence and one I wasn’t able to find at all.
Why was I surprised?
Not that I know anything about the music industry but, for whatever reason, I assumed that these bands would have a strong web presence. That they would be interacting with their fans to, at the very least, let them know where they are going to play next. How do their fans know where they are going to be if they don’t tell them? Do they assume that the club they are playing at is going to promote them? Are their fans supposed to find them by driving by the club and notice that the band’s name is on the sign out front? Do people find them by accident? They decide to go out that night and the band just happens to be playing at the club they go to.
A business like any other
Do bands realize they are a business? No, they don’t have a store front but they are a business. I guess I can understand that when a band is young, they are focusing on creating music and improving their sound. But, developing their fan base is what’s going to get them “climbing the charts” so to speak. It’s what’s going to get them more gigs. If the club is packed with fans that came out specifically to hear then, the more the club owner wants to hire them.
Every business, including bands, need to have a web presence. The value of developing relationships with your customers (your fans) should not be underestimated. Those customers, those fans will ultimately be your biggest asset. They will be the ones doing the advertising for you. They will be the ones telling their friends, who tell their friends, who tell their friends and so on, about you. It doesn’t matter if you are a band or a t-shirt shop or a small café, it works the same. The more people you communicate with, the more people that are telling others about you.
Get out there on the social media platforms your fans and customers are on and start developing those relationships. Developing relationships IS developing your business.
What’s your social media strategy? Are you where you customers or your fans are?
